{"id":23088,"date":"2024-06-24T15:08:48","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T18:08:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gabrielpaladino.com\/?p=23088"},"modified":"2025-09-15T12:08:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T15:08:00","slug":"komainu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2024\/06\/24\/komainu\/","title":{"rendered":"Komainu"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Located at the entrance of places of worship, these lion and dog statues are emblematic of the Japanese landscape. They are found not only in Buddhist temples but also in some Shinto shrines to protect the deity that welcomes them. Their mission is to ward off evil spirits and thus preserve the tranquility of the place they protect.<\/p>\n

Kanda Shrine (\u795e\u7530\u660e\u795e, Kanda-my\u014djin, officially \u795e\u7530\u795e\u793e Kanda-jinja), is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The shrine dates back 1,270 years, but the current structure was rebuilt several times due to fire and earthquakes. It is situated in one of the most expensive estate areas of Tokyo. Kanda Shrine was an important shrine to both the warrior class and citizens of Japan, especially during the Edo period, when sh\u014dgun Tokugawa Ieyasu paid his respects at Kanda Shrine. Due in part to the proximity of the Kanda Shrine to Akihabara, the shrine has become a mecca for technophiles who frequent Akihabara.<\/p>\n

Kanda Shrine was first built in the second year of the Tenpy\u014d Era (730 AD), in the fishing village of Shibasaki, near the modern \u014ctemachi district. In order to accommodate the expansion of Edo Castle, the shrine was later moved to the former Kanda ward in 1603, then moved once again to its modern site on a small hill near Akihabara in 1616. The shrine has been rebuilt and restored many times. The current structure was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kant\u014d earthquake and rebuilt in 1934 with concrete, and thus survived the Tokyo firebombing of World War II, unlike many of Japan’s historical structures. Restoration is being done on Kanda Shrine, and work continues today.<\/p>\n

Pray for prosperity, good luck and marriage at the Kanda Myojin Shrine, where three major gods, or kami, are enshrined. They include two of the seven Gods of Fortune: Daikokuten, who presides over bountiful harvests and matrimony; and Ebisu, the god of fisheries and business. The third is the Taira no Masakado, a rebel against the Hei’an government (794\u20131185) whom later earned revered status. The shrine is the head of 108 Tokyo districts including Akihabara and Tsukiji.<\/p>\n

In May every odd-numbered year, partake in the festivities of the boisterous Kanda Matsuri that is widely regarded as one of Japan’s three greatest festivals. The parade kicks off and ends at the shrine, passing through central Tokyo districts like Nihombashi and Otemachi.<\/p>\n

Photo Taken: April 11, 2024<\/p>\n

High resolution<\/a>
Flickr Gallery<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Did you like this post?<\/b><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Located at the entrance of places of worship, these lion and dog statues are emblematic of the Japanese landscape. They are found not only in Buddhist temples but also in some Shinto shrines to protect the deity that welcomes them. Their mission is to ward off evil spirits and thus preserve the tranquility of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[3,16,41,42,96,371,552,870,1015,1024,1974,2380,3001,3642,3643,4405,4407,5092,5355,5356,5756,6040,6074,6164,6389,6818,6820,6840,6987,6988,6989,7103,7296,7585,7587,7879,8996,9011,9013,9324,11510,11542,11646,11945,11956,11966,11988,11989,11981,12444,12665,12793,13133,13136,13137,13217,13286,13339,13467,14768,13795],"class_list":["post-23088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-related-posts","tag-animals","tag-travel","tag-41","tag-42","tag-96","tag-akihabara","tag-amuleto","tag-architecture","tag-asia","tag-asiaoriental","tag-building","tag-canon","tag-chiyoda","tag-creativity","tag-creature","tag-edoculturecomplex","tag-edoperiod","tag-flickr","tag-gabrielpaladinocom","tag-gabrielpaladinoibanez","tag-goshintai","tag-haiden","tag-hallofofferings","tag-heiden","tag-honden","tag-japan","tag-japan2024","tag-japon","tag-kandajinja","tag-kandamyojin","tag-kandashrine","tag-komainu","tag-landoftherisingsun","tag-liondogs","tag-lionlike","tag-mainhall","tag-nihon","tag-nippon","tag-nipponkoku","tag-oratory","tag-sacred","tag-salonprincipal","tag-santuario","tag-shinden","tag-shinto","tag-shishi","tag-shoden","tag-shogun","tag-shrine","tag-statue","tag-sunorigin","tag-tamagaki","tag-tokio","tag-tokugawaieyasu","tag-tokyo","tag-tourism","tag-travelling","tag-trip","tag-turismo","tag-updated","tag-viaje","has-post-thumbnail"],"tags_input":"#animals,#travel,1603,1616,730,akihabara,amuleto,architecture,asia,asiaoriental,building,canon,chiyoda,creativity,creature,edoculturecomplex,edoperiod,Flickr,gabrielpaladinocom,gabrielpaladinoiba\u00f1ez,goshintai,haiden,hallofofferings,heiden,honden,japan,japan2024,Jap\u00f3n,kandajinja,kandamy\u014djin,kandashrine,komainu,landoftherisingsun,liondogs,lionlike,mainhall,nihon,nippon,nipponkoku,oratory,sacred,sal\u00f3nprincipal,santuario,shinden,shinto,shishi,sh\u014dden,sh\u014dgun,shrine,statue,sunorigin,tamagaki,tokio,tokugawaieyasu,tokyo,tourism,travelling,trip,turismo,Updated,viaje","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/shjlBv-komainu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26198,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/03\/19\/sakura-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":23088,"position":0},"title":"Sakura","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"March 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The blooming of cherry blossoms (sakura) at Shinto shrines, such as Fushimi Inari Taisha, is far more than spring decor\u2014it embodies core Shinto ideals. Their fleeting bloom symbolizes mono no aware, a Japanese aesthetic concept (influenced by Buddhism but embraced in Shinto practices) that finds beauty in impermanence. This transience\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23948,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2024\/09\/30\/komainu-%e7%8b%9b%e7%8a%ac-at-hanazono-shrine\/","url_meta":{"origin":23088,"position":1},"title":"Komainu (\u72db\u72ac) at Hanazono Shrine","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"September 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Located at the entrance of places of worship, these lion and dog statues are emblematic of the Japanese landscape. They are found not only in Buddhist temples but also in some Shinto shrines to protect the deity that welcomes them. Their mission is to ward off evil spirits and thus\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36673,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/10\/06\/the-kitsune-guardians-of-hanazono-shrine\/","url_meta":{"origin":23088,"position":2},"title":"The Kitsune Guardians of Hanazono Shrine","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"October 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Kitsune (fox) statues present at Hanazono Shrine function as the traditional divine messengers and familiars of Inari \u014ckami, the deity venerated here. Inari is the Shint\u014d kami associated with fertility, rice, agriculture, and successful business, making these foxes direct symbolic representatives of those blessings.These stone figures serve as guardians\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24018,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2024\/10\/08\/ema\/","url_meta":{"origin":23088,"position":3},"title":"Ema","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"October 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Ema (\u7d75\u99ac) are wooden plaques, often adorned with vibrant designs, where people inscribe their wishes for the future and then hang them at shrines and temples, following a common Japanese tradition. Initially, these plaques featured images of horses, as they were substitutes for actual horse offerings. Nowadays, they can display\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26415,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/04\/09\/fushimi-inari-taisha\/","url_meta":{"origin":23088,"position":4},"title":"Fushimi Inari Taisha","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"April 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Kitsune fox sculptures adorned with red aprons, carved from stone as divine guardians of the Shinto Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine in Kyoto\u2019s Fushimi-ku district (Japan). These iconic landmarks, surrounded by thousands of vibrant red torii gates, rank among the most visited cultural and tourist attractions in the region. At the Inari\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25926,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/02\/27\/yasaka-jinja-shrine\/","url_meta":{"origin":23088,"position":5},"title":"Yasaka Jinja Shrine","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"February 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Yasaka Shrine (Yasaka Jinja, \u516b\u5742\u795e\u793e), nestled in Kyoto\u2019s historic Gion district, is a cornerstone of Japan\u2019s cultural and spiritual heritage. Founded in 656 AD and affectionately called Gion-san, it enshrines Susano\u2019o no Mikoto (deity of storms), his wife Kushiinada-hime, and their eight children. The shrine\u2019s iconic two-story r\u014dmon gate, painted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Related posts"","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23088"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23088\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34455,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23088\/revisions\/34455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}